The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

Imorah's journey

The last thing Imorah remembered clearly was watching the boy vomit in the pot that the old woman provided, and thinking it was disgusting.

Not long after, she vaguely remembered throwing up as well. The dark, earthy tea came out of her like a torrent. It was a relief to be rid of it, and she might have laughed, though she wasn't sure. She remembered the grandmother's hands on her, helping her to lie down. She remembered the sound of Grandmother humming and feeling well, despite being sick.

Then the waves began—waves of euphoria washing over her. It started with small, pleasant, tingling waves that tickled all her body. She kept her eyes closed. The waves got bigger and bigger. They lasted longer and longer until she was underneath of them, completely submerged.

She fell into a darkness.

* * *

I fall and I fall, and I keep falling.

When I open my eyes, I'm lying on Tashin's mattress.

Everything is silent.

"Tashin?" I call.

There is no answer.

"Tashin?"

I get up and look for him, a feeling of dread washing over me. I walk to the mouth of the cave—the trees and bushes beside the creek are swaying in the wind—everything seems normal. But my heart is pounding in my chest.

"Tashin?" I call out, the pitch of my voice rising with fear.

I walk outside into the light, and continue calling, but there is no answer.

The only thing I hear is the wind rustling through the cat-tails along the creek.

I look up the hill at the wishing tree that towers alone on the desert horizon. The sky is a clear deep blue behind it.

A flash of a memory, a feeling, floods my awareness. There is something up there that fills me with apprehension.

I close my eyes.

When I open them, I'm standing in front of the wishing tree. A small, tightly rolled prayer scroll dangles down, dancing in the wind. I pull the prayer free and force it open.

WAKE UP, it reads.

I close my eyes and try to remember something. Yes, yes. It's almost here—an awareness.

Suddenly my body floods with a recognisable prickling energy, from my belly and into my arms and legs as I become lucid. This is a dream.

I'm not with Tashin. My body is lying somewhere, in a strange hut with a strange old woman, and this is a dream.

I can see myself—I'm lying on the old, matted sheep skins, and my eyes are closed. I swoop down lower and see that I'm dreaming. I'm watching myself dream about myself.

Suddenly I catch the old woman shift out of the corner of my eye. When I look up, I realise she's looking at me!

"You can see me?" I ask her.

"Yes, Imorah," she says, without moving her lips. I hear her voice as clear as day.

"What's happening—how come I'm not in my body?"

"You're having a waking dream. You are in your body. This is your dream. It's a projection."

It seems real that it's difficult to believe it's a mental projection. "Are you real, or a part of my dream?" I ask her, feeling incredibly confused.

"I'm real. I'm experiencing your dream telepathically."

Now I'm really confused. "I.... umm... huh?" I had no idea that was possible. "What... am I supposed to do now?" I ask her.